Terry Ellis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terry Ellis
Ellis in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Terry Lynn Ellis
Born	(1963-09-05) September 5, 1963 (age 61) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genres	R&B pop soul
Occupations	Singer
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Pyramid Records Atlantic eastwest

Terry Lynn Ellis (born September 5, 1963) is an American singer. She is famous for being a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue. The group started in 1989.

Biography

Early life

Terry Ellis was born in Houston, Texas. Her father was a truck driver. Her mother was a homemaker. Terry is the youngest of four daughters. She went to Prairie View A&M University. There, she earned a college degree.

Career

In 1988, Terry performed at a concert with singer Kashif. This performance was like an audition. Producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy were looking for singers. They had already picked Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones, and Cindy Herron. But after hearing Terry sing, they added her to the group.

The group became a quartet, meaning four members. They first called themselves "For You." Later, they changed their name to En Vogue. Terry sang the first part of their very first song, "Hold On." This song became a huge hit. It reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It sold over a million copies. This made it "platinum-certified."

Later that year, En Vogue released their first album, Born to Sing. This album also sold over a million copies. Terry also sang lead parts on other songs. These included "Lies" and "Don't Go." Both of these songs were very popular on the R&B charts.

In 1992, En Vogue released their second album, Funky Divas. This album sold more than 3.5 million copies in the United States. Terry shared lead vocals on the hit song "Free Your Mind." This song won two MTV Video Music Awards. It won for "Best R&B Video" and "Best Dance Video."

In 1993, En Vogue released a shorter album called Runaway Love. In November 1995, Terry Ellis released her own solo album. It was called Southern Gal. The album featured songs like "Where Ever You Are." It sold over 142,000 copies. However, it did not sell as much as En Vogue's albums. Terry also created her own perfume called "Southern Exposure."

In 1996, En Vogue recorded "Don't Let Go (Love)." This song was part of the movie soundtrack for Set It Off. It became the group's biggest hit around the world. It sold over 1.8 million copies. Because of this success, the group started working on their third album.

In 1997, Dawn Robinson left the group. En Vogue then re-recorded their third album. Terry sang lead vocals on more of the songs. In June 1997, the group released EV3. This album also sold over a million copies.

Terry continued to be active in music. In 1999, she toured as a backup singer for Toni Braxton. She also appeared in a music video for Chanté Moore. In 2000, she released a song called "Call on Me." It was on the soundtrack for a TV show called Disappearing Acts.

In 2005, Terry was in a music video for Stevie Wonder. Her original En Vogue bandmates were also in it. Terry continued to record on En Vogue's albums. These included Masterpiece Theatre (2000) and The Gift of Christmas (2002). She also recorded for Soul Flower (2004).

In 2012, Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron had a legal issue with Maxine Jones. The judge decided that Terry and Cindy would have the full rights to use the "En Vogue" name.

In 2014, Terry signed with Pyramid Records. She was with Cindy Herron and Rhona Bennett. In November 2014, they released a holiday album. It was called An En Vogue Christmas.

Voice and range

Terry Ellis is a soprano singer. This means she can sing very high notes. She has a wide vocal range. This was shown in the En Vogue song, "Don't Go." Her bandmates often said Terry had a "ballad" type of voice. She often sang lead parts in the group's funky and soulful songs. In group harmonies, Terry usually sings the alto part. This is a middle vocal range.

Personal life

Terry Ellis is good friends with actress and model Holly Robinson Peete. They met when Terry was recording a theme song for a TV show. They look very much alike.

Discography

Studio albums

• Southern Gal (1995)

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Terry Ellis para niños